R-12 service in Seattle area

[K5inWA]

Does anyone know of a shop that will still work on these? I have R-12 and I can buy more on ebay. My problem is my system wont hold pressure. I cant find a shop to convert me to r134 for less than 2k.

 

[SirRobyn0]

Does anyone know of a shop that will still work on these? I have R-12 and I can buy more on ebay. My problem is my system wont hold pressure. I cant find a shop to convert me to r134 for less than 2k.

K5 I should be able to do it at my shop. I have R-12 equipment and refrigerant. Most of the time folks opt for retro fits because of the cost, so I will have to check on Tuesday to make sure that my equipment is still functional. It hasn't been used since last year. I will PM you with the location so you can decide if I'm close enough to you. I will also warn you we are booked a couple weeks out right now.

 

[78C10BigTen]

K5 I should be able to do it at my shop. I have R-12 equipment and refrigerant. Most of the time folks opt for retro fits because of the cost, so I will have to check on Tuesday to make sure that my equipment is still functional. It hasn't been used since last year. I will PM you with the location so you can decide if I'm close enough to you. I will also warn you we are booked a couple weeks out right now.

Too bad your a whole country away, my r12 needs service too.

 

[dvdswan]

Too bad your a whole country away, my r12 needs service too.

Road trip!

Welcome to the site BTW.

 

[RecklessWOT]

Too bad your a whole country away, my r12 needs service too.

some dipshit converted my truck to 134 before I bought it. Too bad because I know a guy who has a good 100lbs or so of the **** in his basement. He helps me with the other cars, but for the bastardized 'Burb I'm on my own, seems nobody wants to touch it

 

[SirRobyn0]

Too bad your a whole country away, my r12 needs service too.

I've done the cross county drive a few times. And north south to California so many times... Probably 100s of times.... When I was younger any excuse to get me on the road and I was all in. Now a cross country drive sounds dreadful..... My 200 mile round trip drives for feed for the farm is about my limit anymore.

If you can't find anyone to service the R12 system it really isn't that hard to do a quick retro fit.

@RecklessWOT it isn't that hard to retrofit back to R12 either. I don't care how "bastardized" it is I'd do it. To many techs don't have a good understand of this stuff especially on older rigs. They don't want to take the time to make them right. half the techs these days still working in the profession probably don't even know how to perform a retrofit, cause they got into the business after most of that was done and over with.

For anyone wondering what is involved in a basic retrofit:
A retrofit in either direction is pretty much sucking the system out and pulling a vacuum, if going to R123A adding PEG oil and recharging. If going back to R12 you really should pull the compressor dump the oil add ester oil and recharge. Good idea to change orifice tube and accumulator especially if going back to R12, but I've seen guys get away without. And yes I have personally done retrofits in both directions and seen cars on the road years later still working just fine. While there is an efficiency difference, working pressures and charge amounts are slightly different. For the purposes of a retrofit It's just oil and refrigerant changes nothing more. If you retrofit and don't like it, it shouldn't be hard to go back.

Now to add more fuel to the fire this is the last year a new car can have R134A in it. The newest refrigerant is R1234-YF. Though no ban is set for R134A use in the repair and aftermarket world the EPA is considering it. I'd expect it in the next few years, so that would likely mean a whole new round of retrofitting and new stuff to learn, but we'd be retrofitting to something different such as R744 or R152A, because R1234YF is not compatible in anyway with an R134A or R12 system.

Summary it's really quite simple right now, but changes on the horizon are likely to make it much more complicated and even more expensive.

 

[Raider L]

@SirRobyn0,

What are the new cars using, the new refrig't R1234-YF already? And what are they going to do about the millions of cars new and older, not like our trucks unless some are running a/c, but my wife's '06 Subaru who is using R134A and so is my son's car a '02 Nissan Altima? Are they going to need a new system, or whatever is needed to replace in order to change from the R134A to the new refrig't R1234-YF?

 

[SirRobyn0]

@SirRobyn0,

What are the new cars using, the new refrig't R1234-YF already? And what are they going to do about the millions of cars new and older, not like our trucks unless some are running a/c, but my wife's '06 Subaru who is using R134A and so is my son's car a '02 Nissan Altima? Are they going to need a new system, or whatever is needed to replace in order to change from the R134A to the new refrig't R1234-YF?

Most of the new cars are running R1234-YF, starting with the 2022 model year all new vehicles will have to run R1234-YF, as R134A will no longer be allowed in new vehicle production.

As of now there is no ban in the aftermarket for R-134A, so at least in the short term it'll be available for servicing existing systems. The thing that is stopping a complete ban is that R1234-YF cannot be retrofitted into an R-134A system. Once there is another refrigerant that refrigerant that can be used to retrofit a R134A system then I think we'll see it banned. Possible retrofit refrigerants would be R744 or R152A. In Europe new production cars are being shipped with R744, so I think that's most likely.

At the shop that will mean buying two expensive new machines and equipment to perform those services.

 

[Midnightmoon]

At the shop that will mean buying two expensive new machines and equipment to perform those services.

We were just talking about this at the shop the other day. New 1234-YF machines are still over $5K. Going to try and hold off as long as possible on the purchase. But, some of the auction vehicles coming in are already 1234 and are going to have to bite the bullet eventually.

 

[Crusader fixer]

The above replies about retrofits of 12/134, either way, are right on. The only issue to be careful of is the oil, they DON'T mix. You'll get jelly. Make sure you get all the refrigerant oil cleared. When this change first came about there was a flush device and fluid. I could never get confirmation but believe, from the smell, the fluid was turpentine. Wouldn't risk that, though! Just clean out the outgoing type well.

 

[80BrownK10]

I have my own 134a machine. I don't mind stuff that's converted. I do my own. I understand a shop charging $2k but you can do it on your own. You can buy all new components, and a vacuum pump and gauges cheaper than that and replace everything...I'm betting you can replace it all for well under $1,000 in parts.

I have done replacements of components and entire systems on several vehicles now.

 

[JeffK10America]

45 bucks for a 8 oz can, 58 bucks for a 12 oz can of 1234YF . Verses 8 bucks for a 12 oz of 134A up to I’ve seen 14 bucks . Yes it’s high . Just replaced my condenser on 2017 Silverado . They will fail . Period .. 2014 to 2018 models Tahoe’s suburbans silverados . Bad weld will crack . Chevrolet dealers are charging 1000 dollars or more for parts . And it’s not on a recall .. that isn’t cool literally. So rock auto sales a replacement gold series condenser less than 200 . I bought mine with seals from pro auto , that sales mainly OEM parts . 204 bucks . But back to point on old school. I’ve ran 12 and retrofitted 134A . From my personal view point 12 is way colder . 134A is cool don’t get me wrong . My Camero gets freezing cold with 134A . But for my square 1985 , I will be going to freon12 .thats just what I want to run .eBay has plenty of it . 12 will blow frost from the vents if it has the proper oil and no moisture in the system .

 

[Midnightmoon]

45 bucks for a 8 oz can, 58 bucks for a 12 oz can of 1234YF . Verses 8 bucks for a 12 oz of 134A up to I’ve seen 14 bucks . Yes it’s high . Just replaced my condenser on 2017 Silverado . They will fail . Period .. 2014 to 2018 models Tahoe’s suburbans silverados . Bad weld will crack . Chevrolet dealers are charging 1000 dollars or more for parts . And it’s not on a recall .. that isn’t cool literally. So rock auto sales a replacement gold series condenser less than 200 . I bought mine with seals from pro auto , that sales mainly OEM parts . 204 bucks . But back to point on old school. I’ve ran 12 and retrofitted 134A . From my personal view point 12 is way colder . 134A is cool don’t get me wrong . My Camero gets freezing cold with 134A . But for my square 1985 , I will be going to freon12 .thats just what I want to run .eBay has plenty of it . 12 will blow frost from the vents if it has the proper oil and no moisture in the system .

My old Corvette is still R12. I just checked it at the beginning of the summer and had ~36 degree output temp at the vents. My 2018 F150 with Y1234 can't come close to that. That Corvette will remain R12 as long as I can find available product and the system is still serviceable.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[idahovette]

We just retrofitted my 66 Chevy II SS clone. Had the old under dash evaporator cleaned and checked and added a new Sanden compressor. Fired it and it blows 38 going down the road. I'm a HAPPY camper!!! We used 134A in it